Therapeutic relationships in teaching are what make learning meaningful, sustainable, and human. Long before content sticks, it’s the relationship that creates safety, curiosity, and growth.
I basically live in Chuck Taylors. I tell myself it’s one of the wardrobe privileges of being a teacher and a psychologist who works with kids.
This particular pair is custom—and it was a gift from one of my classes at Pitzer College. They’re a small reminder of our connection and the joy we shared together. Every time I see them, I’m brought back to that room, those conversations, and the therapeutic relationships in teaching that made the work feel alive.
Teaching work isn’t just about content. It’s about relationships.
That’s true whether you’re standing in front of a classroom, sitting across from a client in therapy, or walking alongside young people as they figure out who they are and who they’re becoming. Skills matter, of course—but without trust, they don’t land. Therapeutic relationships in teaching are what allow learning to feel safe enough to be transformative.
As a psychologist and DBT trainer, I’ve seen how therapeutic relationships in teaching mirror what we know from therapy: growth doesn’t happen without safety, and change doesn’t happen without connection. The moments students carry with them long after a semester ends are almost always relational.
These shoes remind me that teaching is never one-directional. My students shape me just as much as I hope I shape them. The humor, the vulnerability, the curiosity, the shared reflections—all of it matters.
So as the new year begins, this feels like a fitting reminder.
Wishing you a year filled with work that matters, people you love, and comfortable attire.
And to Annie, Aurora, Claire, Erika, Hannah, Juliana, Klara, Lilly, Mae, Morgane, Seli, Shraya, and Yusi—thank you. I’m deeply grateful for you and for the meaning you bring to this work.
Happy New Year.
As a psychologist working with children, teens, and adults across Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and Pacific Palisades, I see every day how therapeutic relationships in teaching and therapy shape mental health. Whether someone is navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, self-harm, or questions of identity and purpose, healing begins in the context of connection.
If you’re interested in therapy grounded in evidence-based care and strong relationships, you can learn more about our clinical approach or reach out through our contact page to connect with Youth & Family Institute.
